MacDiarmid Institute director Kathryn McGrath today said this marked the first significant contestable funding round in more than two and a half years from MSI or its predecessor, the Foundation for Research and Technology.

"During this period there have been no opportunities in the physical sciences to apply for substantial funding of new programmes and there has been a significant shift in the focus of the Government with regard to science and innovation," she said.

"This, coupled with the changes in the amount of money available in each of the funding categories and the large number of bids now all coming to an end at the same time, rather than in a staggered fashion, is going to have significant ramifications throughout the physical sciences community.

"The next few months will be frenetic for the many scientists working on bids. The outcomes of these bidding rounds will change the lay of the land for many in science in New Zealand."